Board of Directors
David Shuel, Chair
David was born in Indianapolis and graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in business management. He spent most of his adult life in Chicago where he raised his two children. There, David ran the Chicago location of his family business, HP Products, a full-service industrial supply distribution company with over eight hundred employees. When HP sold to Ferguson Supply in 2014, David moved his family to Sarasota and purchased his own business, Beneva Flowers and Plantscapes.
It was at Beneva Flowers that David learned about Project 180. David hired a man who, unbeknownst to him, was a Project 180 resident/returning citizen. The employee shared how Project 180 had impacted his life. David immediately reached out to Project 180’s CEO, Barbara Richards, to see how he could help make a positive impact in the Sarasota community through the organization. Barbara invited David and his partner, Leah, to have dinner with the guys at Keifer’s House, one of the Project 180 residences. They were so moved by the experience that David called Barbara the next day and asked how he could get involved to support Project 180’s good work.
David joined the board shortly after and has become deeply involved in the organization. He has since hired his third employee through Project 180 and has found that being a Second Chance employer is a great investment in his business.